Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the sectoral parts of the new social partnership deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24777/15]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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294. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if recent reports on the sectoral parts of the new social partnership deal are accurate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24778/15]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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295. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there will be any increase in specialist allowances in the new social partnership deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24779/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 to 295, inclusive, together.

I assume the Deputy is referring to the recent Labour Relations Commission proposals for the extension to the existing Public Service Stability Agreement (Haddington Road Agreement) out to 2018, under the title of the 'Lansdowne Road Agreement'. Like the previous Haddington Road Agreement,  the current proposals for agreement represent the outcome of an engagement between public service employers and the Unions and Associations representing public servants across the public service. This process represents the standard industrial relations processes followed across the economy seeking agreement, known as a "Collective Agreement", on terms and conditions of employees and is underpinned by the Industrial Relations Acts.  As they do not include any other actors other than representatives of the employer and employees, it does not form part of a wider social dialogue process or constitute a social partnership deal.

Following the conclusion of discussions on 29 May last, the negotiators on both sides, with the expert assistance of the LRC who oversaw the talks' process, have come forward with a set of proposals to form the basis of a single new agreement, the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which will extend the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement to September 2018. The proposals have been published in full and can be accessed at http://www.per.gov.ie/public-service-pay-policy/. It is now a matter for Union and Association members representing the public service workforce to consider and ballot on those proposals. The proposals, should they be ratified by the Unions and Associations, will secure an Industrial Relations framework that will foster and support further productivity and change at the level of the workplace.  The proposals also provide for the commencement of the gradual unwinding of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest legislation, which was put in place in response to the financial crisis.   

Subject to agreement by the Unions and Associations on the proposals made, I will bring forward the necessary legislative amendments to enable the terms of the Agreement to be implemented from 1 January 2016. 

It is a normal part of the complex industrial relations processes within the Irish public service that sectoral industrial relations issues are discussed between sectoral management and trade unions, with or without the assistance of the LRC and/or involvement of my Department.  These discussions take place at all times within the public service and do not as such form part of any broader pay settlement applicable to the entire public service.

The proposals from the LRC do not address any issues regarding the payment, or the rate of payment, of any allowances.  However, where an allowance is calculated as a percentage of the base pay rate, then any increase in base pay rates provided for under the proposals will have a consequential impact on the value of the allowance.